Professional Documents
Culture Documents
eISBN: 9781465450654
Glossary
About the Authors
Introduction
Can you believe you’re reading a cannabis
cookbook?
We can hardly believe we’ve written one!
What a wonderful world it is that allows us delightful things
like marijuana edibles. Despite its clean safety record and
numerous health benefits, cannabis is still a bit taboo in
many circles. That’s certainly changing, and with increased
responsible use, we hope minds will continue to open and
welcome this enchanting herb. Cooking with cannabis can
be such a gratifying thing. With just a little time and
preparation, you can make virtually any dish your heart
desires into an edible. However, we love making our edibles
as sweets. Not only do they taste just phenomenal, they are
also a great way to end a meal and bring on a wonderfully
deep sleep or a fun, whacky game night. You’ll be the star of
your next “potluck” when you show up with a batch of some
delicious, low-dose edibles. (Just be sure to label your
goodies so everyone knows they are marijuana edibles!)
We’ve pulled together some of our very favorite desserts
here to get you started in the world of edibles. Whether
you’re interested in marijuana edibles for recreational or
medical reasons, we hope this book helps you find the
experience you’re looking for.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Our thanks goes out to friends, family, clients, and
customers who have encouraged our efforts all along the
way. We’re grateful to Ricard Baca and Aleta Labak for their
support and friendship, as well as for bringing Laurie’s
edible recipes to the world. We’d also like to give a special
shout-out to the crews at Oregon’s Finest (Megan, Selena,
and Andrea—we love you) and GreenSky (Sam, the man!).
Alex at ChemHistory is one of our very favorite people,
providing reliable testing for all of our cannabis cooking and
products. And thank you to our buddy, the talented writer
Tyler Hurst, for his no-nonsense advice and wealth of
knowledge.
We’d also like to thank Nathalie and Kayla at Penguin
Random House for their constant encouragement, patience,
and support in the creation of this book. Without these
talented ladies, this book would not have happened. And to
you, our open-minded, adventurous reader—we thank you.
May this book bring you only good times!
The publisher would like to thank Jeff Soper for his food
styling assistance and preparation tips, and Bruce Wolf for
his photography of the dispensary shown in this book.
MARIJIUANA: A CRASH COURSE
Marijuana and marijuana edibles are
prized not only for recreational use but
also for their medicinal benefits.
PLANTS AND STRAINS
Marijuana is typically categorized by its strains:
sativa, indica, and (to a lesser extent) ruderalis.
Sativa is known for its energetic, cerebral effects,
while indica is known for its sedating, full-body high.
Ruderalis strains are low in both THC and CBD,
making them worthless for medicinal or recreational
use on their own. However, they have an
autoflowering feature used by breeders to create
hearty autoflowering strains high in THC or CBD. You
can also find many hybrids that blend the effects of
sativas and indicas into the ideal strain for your mood
or requirements. Check out Leafly (leafly.com) or
VerdaBase (verdabase.com) online for strain
information.
Cannabis Sativa
High in THC with long, fingerlike leaves, these tall
strains are known for their energetic qualities.
Cannabis Indica
These short, stocky strains with wide leaves are
known for their sedative qualities.
Cannabis Ruderalis
Ruderalis strains are found in colder regions and
contain very small leaves and few branches.
Terminology
Marijuana: Slang for
cannabis. It's also known as
weed, mary jane, and pot.
NECESSARY EQUIPMENT
Cheesecloth
This loose-woven cloth is an essential tool for
straining your infusions.
Wire Rack
Placing a pan of baked goods on a wire rack allows air
to circulate under the pan, leading to faster, even
cooling.
Microplane
This handheld tool easily removes citrus zest and
leaves the bitter pith behind. It can also be used for
grating ingredients, such as chocolate.
HOW TO DECARBOXYLATE
Decarboxylating cannabis is a simple yet
crucial step in the infusion process.
Heating the plant activates marijuana’s
psychoactive compound, THC.
1 Heat the oven to 240°F (115°C). (Use an oven
thermometer to make sure the temperature is exactly
correct.) Roll the buds gently between your palms to
crumble them, and place a thin layer of crumbled
cannabis on a rimmed baking sheet.
METHOD 1
METHOD 2
TIME:
TIME:
45 minutes
15 minutes TEMPERATURE:
TEMPERATURE:
310°F (154° C) NOTES:
240°F (115° C) NOTES:
If you’re rushed for
If you have the time,
time, this is the
this is our favorite
method for you.
method.
7g cannabis, decarboxylated
and finely chopped
Tools & Equipment: Medium saucepan
Fine-mesh strainer Cheesecloth
Deep glass bowl
Silicone spatula
16-oz. (450g) container
Canna–Coconut Oil
SERVING SIZE 1 teaspoon
DOSAGE PER SERVING 10mg THC
Canna-Butter
SERVING SIZE 1 teaspoon
DOSAGE PER SERVING 10mg THC
Storing Infusions
Canna–coconut oil keeps covered
at room temperature for 6 months.
Store away from sunlight.
Canna-butter keeps covered in the
refrigerator for 3 months or
wrapped well in the freezer for up
to 6 months. When freezing canna-
butter, it’s helpful to preportion it into smaller
sizes so you can defrost just the amount you
need.
HOW TO COOK WITH INFUSIONS
With a few simple dos and don’ts, you,
too, can master the art of cooking with
cannabis in all of your favorite dishes.
IN YOUR OWN FAVORITE
RECIPES
With a few adjustments, anything can be infused. If
you start by making canna-butter or canna–coconut
oil as outlined in this book, 1 teaspoon makes 1
serving. Swap as many teaspoons of regular butter or
oil for the canna version in the amount equal to the
number of servings in the dish.
Adding Infusions
You can swap in infused butter or oil for the regular version.
In this case, melted canna-butter is added to batter.
DISGUISING STRONG FLAVORS
OF INFUSIONS
Once you’ve swapped in the appropriate amount of
canna-butter or canna–coconut oil, you may need to
adjust the flavors to cover the cannabis taste. If your
recipe is already a flavorful dish, you may not need to
make any adjustments. However, if it’s more subtle,
you increase the flavorful ingredient(s) or add flavors
such as chocolate, coffee, peanut butter, and
cinnamon to better hide the taste.
Disguising Flavors
Peanut butter, coffee, and cinnamon are just a few things
you can use in your recipes to hide the flavor of an infusion.
DON’T DO
Don’t bake in the Do swap out 1
oven above 340°F teaspoon of butter for
(171°C). canna-butter (or oil for
Don’t microwave on canna–coconut oil) for
high. each serving in the
dish.
Don’t cook on the
stove on high heat Do taste (a very small
or bring infused amount of) the batter
butter or oil to a to evaluate the flavor.
boil. Do increase the
Don’t add too much strongest flavors in
canna-butter or the dish to cover the
canna-coconut oil: cannabis taste.
only 1 teaspoon per Do increase the
serving unless you cooking time slightly if
need a higher dose. you’ve lowered the
Don’t serve an cooking temperature.
infused dish without Do melt the infusion
letting everyone before mixing it into
know. the bowl, whenever
Don’t store an applicable; if it’s a
infused dish without hard glob of fat, it
a sign unless you won’t mix properly
live by yourself. with other ingredients.
SIMPLE, SINGLE-SERVING
EDIBLES
These single-serving treats are an easy
way to create edibles for yourself in just a
few minutes.
WHITE CHOCOLATE–DIPPED
STRAWBERRIES MELT 4 OUNCES (110G)
WHITE CHOCOLATE SLOWLY IN THE
MICROWAVE. STIR IN 1 TEASPOON CANNA-
BUTTER. DIP 6 STRAWBERRIES IN WHITE
CHOCOLATE MIX AND PLACE ON
PARCHMENT PAPER. ALLOW TO SET.
SALTED CARAMEL
Heat 5 packaged caramels (41g) in the microwave
until softened and barely melted. Stir in 1 teaspoon
canna-butter. Transfer to parchment paper and shape
into a rectangle. Sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to
harden.
MONKEY MOUSSE
Combine ¼ cup peanut butter and ¼ cup banana
yogurt. Stir in 1 teaspoon canna–coconut oil and top
with 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts.
FRUITY YOGURT
Whip 1 cup Greek yogurt with 2 tablespoons puréed
fruit (or jam, jelly, or preserves). Add sugar or
sweetener to taste (optional) and 1 teaspoon
softened canna–coconut oil.
Handy tip
These cookies are just begging for a little chocolate. Brush
the underside with melted dark chocolate and allow to set
on parchment paper for 10 to 15 minutes.
Citrus Almond Florentines
SALTED CARAMEL CASHEW
BARS
A batter of chewy, rich caramel and salty
cashews tops a buttery crust. In a ranking
out of 10, these bars are an 11.
Handy tip
The bars will be firmer and therefore easier to cut if you
place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes first.
Salted Caramel Cashew Bars
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE
HAZELNUT BROWNIES
These extraordinarily good brownies are for
true chocoholics. Three kinds of chocolate
are mixed with toasted hazelnuts to create a
super-rich treat with a satisfying crunch.
Handy tip
For a vegan dessert, use canna–coconut oil instead of
canna-butter and agave nectar instead of honey.
Pistachio-Honey Baklava
TRES LECHES CAKE
These are the moistest little cakes ever. The
sweet and creamy flavors are pure and
simple in each dreamy, pillowy bite.
Handy tip
You can also make this as one big cake. Simply butter and
flour a 9×13-inch (23×33cm) pan, combine ingredients as
directed, and bake for 30 minutes or until center is set.
Tres Leches Cake
ALMOND–OLIVE OIL CAKE
Cakes made with olive oil are incredibly
moist and textured. For this dessert, the
sweet almond flavor tastes perfect with the
richness of the oil. You’ll savor the cake with
each terrific bite.
Handy tip
For a flavor variation, add 1 teaspoon espresso powder or 1
teaspoon peppermint extract to the pudding before pouring
it over the cake.
Handy tip
You can find toffee bits next to the chocolate chips in most
grocery stores. As for the chocolate chips used in this
recipe, feel free to use semisweet or milk chocolate chips
instead of dark.
Candied Bacon Toffee Squares
BOURBON PECAN CARAMEL
CORN CLUSTERS WE CAN’T
DECIDE IF IT’S THE
SATISFYING CRUNCH OR THE
ROCKIN’ FLAVOR COMBINATION
OF TOASTED PECANS, SMOKY
BOURBON, AND RICH CARAMEL
THAT’S OUR FAVORITE IN THIS
RECIPE. TASTE AND DECIDE!
INFUSION TYPE: PREP TIME: COOK TIME: SERVING YIELD:
Canna- 40 15 SIZE: 24
butter minutes minutes 2 clusters
clusters
Handy tip
To make your own fig jam, combine 8 ounces (227g) fresh
or dried figs, ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and
2 tablespoons water in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer
over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until desired
consistency is reached.
Dietary Notes:
2 Blend plums, honey, and cooled
Dairy free, gluten free
wine mixture in a blender at medium
speed for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
Chill mixture in the refrigerator for 4
hours or up to 1 week.
3 Remove from the refrigerator and
blend mixture for 30 seconds to
recombine. Pour into a 9×13-inch
(23×33cm) baking pan and place in
the freezer.
4 Stir with a fork every 30 minutes for
about 4 hours or until an icy, granular
texture is achieved.
5 Transfer to an airtight container and
return to the freezer if not serving right
away. Remove from the freezer 15
minutes before serving.